Systems for the teaching of reading and spelling are well known in the art. The Fernald Method is discussed in Grace Fernald's Remedial Techniques in Basic School Subjects published in 1943 by McGraw-Hill. The Gillingham Method is discussed in Remedial Training by Anna Gillingham and Bessie W. Stillman, published by Educators Publishing Service in 1960. The Palo Alto Series is discussed by Theodore E. Glim in The Palo Alto Reading Program published in 1968 by Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc.
People who are learning to read often have difficulty in pronouncing words. Frequently, they also have difficulty with developmental disabilities in auditory memory, auditory blending and visual memory. Those with severe problems in these areas are many times diagnosed as auditory or visual dyslexics.
The present system is a multisensory approach for the teaching of reading and spelling. This system uses phonogram analysis and classification, and then blends these with consonant/consonant blends. The system is in contrast to the two best known methods, the Fernald Method and the Gillingham Method, which are used primarily with learning disabled children. The Fernald Method uses a whole word approach (analyzing each letter), and the Gillingham Method uses a sound blending approach of each phonemic sound. Both the Fernald Method and the Gillingham Method use the multiple sounds of phonics, while the present system groups the sounds into classified larger segments, thus reducing the amount of blending and synthesis combinations needed. The word patch for example, is sounded in four steps in the prior art (p-a-t-ch), while the present system uses only two steps (p-atch).